(North Cowichan, BC) – North Cowichan is developing an Affordable Housing Policy and Implementation Plan and is seeking public input on priorities.
The Affordable Housing Policy & Implementation Plan sets strategic direction for North Cowichan to continue important work on affordable housing issues. This includes implementing housing policies from the Official Community Plan, setting targets for the provision of affordable housing in new developments, and identifying future actions and projects intended to improve housing suitability and affordability in the community. Housing is one of the five main pillars of North Cowichan’s Council Strategic Plan adopted in 2018.
“We are facing a housing crisis across Canada, and while municipalities don’t have the power to solve this problem on our own, we do have the tools to make a difference,” said Mayor Rob Douglas. “Our draft Affordable Housing Policy and Implementation Plan includes a suite of actions to increase the local supply of affordable housing, drawing upon successful initiatives from other communities in the province. We want to hear from local residents, businesses and organizations before finalizing the policy and getting to work with implementation this fall.”
Hearing from the general public, key organizations and groups such as Cowichan Housing Association, Economic Development Cowichan, Co-operative Housing Federation of BC, and BC Housing, as well as the development community, will help prioritize the policy direction and goals and identify additional actions that will support the creation of new and protection of existing affordable housing in North Cowichan.
North Cowichan is experiencing a critical lack of affordable rental and ownership housing. In October 2022, the rental vacancy rate was 0.3%. Between October 2020 and May 2023, the benchmark price of housing rose 52% for single detached homes, 34% for townhouses, and 69% for apartments. According to the 2021 Census, one in five North Cowichan households spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on housing.
People are invited to provide comments on the draft Affordable Housing Policy by completing a short survey at www.connectnorthcowichan.ca/affordable-housing until August 20. There is also an opportunity for people to share stories about their experiences with the housing crisis. Feedback heard will be used to inform priorities and next steps.
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Contact:
communications@northcowichan.ca